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December 6, 2021 at 11:16 am
Former Defense Minister and IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon spoke on Monday about Israel's conduct throughout the negotiations on the renewal of the "Iran deal."
When asked whether Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is adopting former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's modus operandi, Ya'alon told 103 FM Radio, "I really hope not. We are at an important junction, and we must find a common denominator with the Americans."
"I don't understand the Chief of Staff's statements, or the exposure of things we don't agree with the Americans on," he said, adding that he believes things should be handled behind closed doors.
The discussions on Iran, Ya'alon told 103 FM, "must be held in such a way that Iran will never become nuclear. We must ...
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December 6, 2021 at 11:07 am
The Jerusalem District Committee refrained from approving for deposit the plan for the construction of the new Jerusalem neighborhood of Atarot.
The committee's decision stated that the Environmental protection Ministry should first carry out a survey of the plan's environmental impact.
However, it said: "The committee is under the impression that the plan proposes a proper utilization of the land reserves which have not been utilized to date."
Regional Cooperation Minister Issawi Frej (Meretz) appeared before the committee to argue against the construction of the neighborhood, despite the fact that Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked made it clear to the committee members that he did not represent the government and its views on the matter. Instead he argued for the reopening of ...
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December 6, 2021 at 11:07 am
The number of confirmed cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Israel has risen to 21, the national headquarters for the fight against the coronavirus announced Monday.
16 of the cases were individuals who returned from South Africa, England, France, the US, and the UAE. The other five cases were people who came into contact with individuals who returned from South Africa and the US.
Eight of the cases are among 'unprotected' individuals, meaning they were either unvaccinated, had recovered from the coronavirus more than six months ago, or more than six months had passed since their second vaccination dose and they had not received a booster shot. The other 13 cases are among 'protected' individuals, meaning they had recovered from t he coronavirus less than six ...
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December 6, 2021 at 11:01 am
Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the failure of the Vienna nuclear talks, saying that Israel must present a real military threat against Iran.
At the beginning of the Likud faction meeting, Netanyahu said that "only one agreement with Iran can be considered. The only agreement that can be reached is an agreement that dismantles Iran's nuclear capabilities."
"In the absence of such an agreement, Israel must be prepared to act independently against the Iranian nuclear program. Independently means even without prior notice - and with surprises. If the United States is not willing to present a real military threat against Iran, Israel must do so."
"Because of the weakness of the government, we are witnessing two intensifying phenomena - an inc...
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December 6, 2021 at 11:00 am
They couldn’t believe
their eyes- having assumed for twenty-two years that Yosef was lost to slavery
or even murdered, they could hardly imagine that he currently stood before them
as the second most powerful man on Earth. Flabbergasted and speechless they
wondered about the identity of this intimidating accuser turned "loving
brother". Could this really be Yosef? Maybe he was an impostor or perhaps
this was just another stage of his crafty manipulation.
Looks can be deceiving
but language is very reliable. The midrash reports that by speaking directly to
his brothers in Hebrew, Yosef convinced them of his true identity. Prior to the
great reveal, he communicated with them through a translator, pretending to be
Hebrew-illiterate. Hearing him speak Hebrew convinced t...
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December 6, 2021 at 10:54 am
The miracle of Chanukah is not limited to a past event
I have been waiting an entire year to share an insight from Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein's Chanukah: Capturing the Light (Mosaica Press). The time has finally arrived.
The Ramban famously quotes at the beginning of parshas B'haalosecha the midrash that all the sacrifices of the Beis Hamikdash were only performed so long as the Temple stood. But the lights of the Menorah will illuminate forever.
On its face, the statement is puzzling, for the lighting of the Menorah is no more performed today than the sacrifice of any of the korbanos.
The Ramban explains that the lights of the Menorah refers to the Chanukah lights. But that explanation only raises other questions. For one thing, the Menorah in the Temple involved a daily mirac...
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December 6, 2021 at 10:50 am
Jerusalem, Israel - Dec. 6, 2021 - The 10th Flag Football World Championship games are taking place in Jerusalem, Israel from December 6 to 8th, at the Kraft Family Sports Complex. A record 39 teams from 21 countries are competing, with the USA gold medalists favored in winning again.
An opening night event was held at the Ramada Renaissance Hotel for the estimated 900 participants, players, coaches, and managers. Steve Leibowitz, President of AFI American Football in Israel and a driving force behind the games while most of the world was hesitant due to the pandemic, welcomed the audience.
The program held on the last night of Chanukah started with the lighting of the large Chanukah menorah by Rav Aharon Katz, the founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Derech Etz Chaim. For many of the&...
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December 6, 2021 at 10:34 am
New York City will require all private-sector workers be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday.
The new mandate will go into effect Dec. 27. Children ages 5 through 11, who recently became eligible to get vaccinated against the virus, will also need to have vaccine proof for indoor dining, entertainment and fitness.
“We’ve got Omicron as a new factor. We’ve got the colder weather, which is going to really create additional challenges with the Delta variant. We’ve got holiday gatherings,” Mr. de Blasio said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where he announced the new mandate. “We in New York City have decided to use a pre-emptive strike to really do something bold to stop the further growth o...
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December 6, 2021 at 10:29 am
Two threats of wintry weather are on the horizon for Maryland this week, according to the National Weather Service. A hazardous weather outlook issued by the agency calls for strong winds Monday, followed by two winter storm threats later in the week.
Temperatures are expected to drop more than 30 degrees Monday, from the high 60s to the low 30s. Rain and snow showers are possible Monday, and so are powerful winds.
Gusty winds Monday may lead to isolated instances of wind damage, according to the hazardous weather outlook.
After 9:30 a.m., the Maryland Transportation Authority placed the Bay Bridge under wind warnings, issued for winds over 30 mph. Drivers of the following vehicles should use extra caution while crossing the Bay Bridge: house trailers, box trailers, motor...
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December 5, 2021 at 10:47 pm
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 5, 2021 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to to Mr. And Mrs. Simcha Feldman on the birth of a son.
יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
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December 5, 2021 at 10:47 pm
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 5, 2021 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. And Mrs. Zvi Spiegel on the birth of a son.
יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
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December 5, 2021 at 10:42 pm
The number of states that have reported cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus has jumped to 17. On Sunday, the Georgia confirmed its first in-state case, while the St. Louis Health Department said a Missouri resident has also contracted the variant.
Both cases were in patients who had been traveling—one to South Africa, the other in the U.S. Previously, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin had detected cases of the variant.
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December 5, 2021 at 10:34 pm
More than half of America’s youngest adults – 56 percent of those ages 18 to 25 – are overweight or obese, according to Johns Hopkins research, published in JAMA.
Using data from a nationally representative sample of 8,015 people in that age bracket, the researchers compared average weights over the past four decades. In that time, that population’s average body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on a person’s height and weight, had increased by 4.6 points – from 23.1 (considered normal weight) to 27.7 (considered overweight). That shifted the number of overweight young adults from about 18 percent in the late 1970s to nearly 24 percent by 2018.
The biggest spike in weight measurements, however, was in the prevalence of obesity, which increa...
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December 5, 2021 at 10:34 pm
Mayor de Blasio says he might require people to get COVID-19 booster shots if they want to attend concerts, restaurants and similar indoor venues, as the new Omicron variant continues to spread citywide, the NY Post reports.
“I think it’s a fair question that we’re going to analyze now – with all of our approaches to COVID, we’re going to update them, because we’re dealing with some new challenges at this moment,” de Blasio said during his weekly appearance of WNYC radio’s “The Brian Lehrer Show.” “So, that will be looked at along with a series of other actions, because it’s really dynamic right now.”
Such a new mandate could include a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Currently, the city req...
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December 5, 2021 at 10:34 pm
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she is confident House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will take “decisive action” this week against Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., for her anti-Muslim remarks about Omar last month.
“I’ve had a conversation with the speaker, and I’m very confident that she will take decisive action next week,” Omar said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” It is unclear what Pelosi’s “decisive action” would include. Omar said that Boebert should be stripped of her committee assignments and that House leaders should rebuke her to send a “clear and decisive” message.
“I think it’s important for us to say this kind of language, this kind of hate cannot be condoned by the House of R...
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December 5, 2021 at 10:33 pm
NYC Mayor de Blasio has weighed in on a report first appearing on Matzav.com about an elderly Brooklyn couple was kicked off an American Airlines flight for refusing to drop a bag holding tallis and tefillin on the floor. Roberto and Elana Birman were returning home from Miami in August aboard Flight 322, when the incident occurred.
On Twitter, De Blasio remarked, “This an outrageous insult. Just tremendous disrespect to our entire Jewish community. @AmericanAir, you owe the Birmans a real apology and you need to change this policy. Now.”
Roberto, 76, and Elana, 71, boarded the plane with only a briefcase, a handbag, and his tallis bag — a small, 8.5-inch-by-8.5-inch clear plastic carrier. They sat across from one another in a...
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December 5, 2021 at 10:13 pm
Twin brothers Leo and Rudolph Blitz were 16 when they applied to join the Navy. They were so young that their father had to go to the recruiting office in Omaha and give his permission. Rudolph wanted a Navy career. Leo wanted to learn a trade.
It was 1938. Times were hard and the boys lived with their family in a two-bedroom house in a neighborhood of Russian immigrants in Lincoln, Neb. They enlisted that May. Three years later, on Dec. 7, 1941, they were killed when their ship, the USS Oklahoma, was sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
For 78 years, they rested among hundreds of the ship’s fallen who were recovered but never identified, buried as unknowns in a cemetery in Hawaii. Then, in 2019, a remarkable Pentagon forensics project identified them as part of an effo...
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December 5, 2021 at 10:11 pm
MK Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) on Sunday downplayed the reports on efforts that are allegedly being made to add the haredi parties to the government, and claimed that this was not possible.
"That has never happened. I do not know where this is coming from, it is impossible at all to think of entering such a government," he said in an interview with the haredi Radio Kol Chai.
Porush commented on the issue of the planned reforms in conversions, after a bill on the issue by MK Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beytenu) was approved by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation.
"The conversion industry has become 'everyone can come and do it.' Two weeks ago the proposal was that any mayor could convert. Now the proposal is that yeshiva heads will also be able to convert. We are...
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December 5, 2021 at 10:09 pm
For the first time in two months, the U.S. is averaging more than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases each day, shortly after millions of Americans traveled for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The seven-day moving average of new cases was 121,437 as of Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Prior to this week, the U.S. last topped the 100,000-cases-a-day mark in early October.
Also on the rise is the number of COVID-19 deaths, with a seven-day average of 1,651 people dying from the virus each day as of Saturday, the JHU data showed. Average daily deaths haven't been this high in more than a month.
The vast majority of new cases in the U.S. continue to be from the delta variant, but U.S. health officials have detected the new omicron coronavirus variant in at least 16 sta...
